Casseiopia Malfoy: Blood Traitor Extraordinare
by amyownfie
Summary: In which Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had a second child, the twin sister of Draco Malfoy. Casseiopia is not the standard Malfoy that most would expect her to be, and she certainly changed things for her family as she began her time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. chapter 1

I sat next to my brother on the train, my twin who wouldn't stop his ridiculous bragging about how he would be the strongest Slytherin in the Malfoy line. He was ridiculously naive if he thought that he would get into slytherin purely because of his lineage. He may not have listened to mother's warnings but I did. She had a cousin who was sorted into Gryffindor and a niece who was sorted into Hufflepuff. Though the Malfoy line hadn't seen anything other than Slytherin for fifty generations, we were also Blacks, and the Blacks had a long history of Ravenclaws in their line too. There wasn't much room to support the Malfoy claim to Slytherin, given that in those fifty generations, there had never been more than one Malfoy child. It was far too easy to imagine that we could be placed in any of the four houses. If he thought his Malfoy blood would place him in Slytherin, then the Black blood in him would most likely undermine that, despite the fact that we share our father's white blond hair. We have our mother's eyes, and I her temperament, we are at the mercy of the sorting hat, not our father's hope. He could order us to be sorted into Slytherin and that wouldn't make any difference, we knew as much about where we would be placed as we did about muggle politics. Which was nothing at all.

"Cut it out Drake." I whisper harshly, noting the unimpressed looks on our friends faces. Only Greg and Vince seem impressed by his bragging, Daphne and Pansy however simply looked bored out of their minds.

"I'm just stating fact." Draco shrugs, leaning back on the bench. "Father is certain that we will be Slytherins like he and mother were."

I sigh, pulling my diary from my bag. "If you'd listened to anything mother had said then you'd know that we have an equal chance to be Ravenclaws, if you think that blood has anything to do with it." I continue the sketch of mother and father that I had begun several days ago, my quill scratching on the thick parchment pages. While everyone believed that I was simply documenting my life, only Draco knew that no words had ever graced the pages of my so called diary.

"We have the Malfoy name, therefore we are at the mercy of Malfoy blood Cassie." Draco argues. "Unless you want to be called a blood traitor for breaking Malfoy tradition."

"I wouldn't be the one breaking it." I roll my eyes. "The sorting hat would."

"Are you two done arguing?" Pansy whines, her puggish features not made any prettier by the sneer filling her expression. "I think I prefered it when you two were sickeningly close."

"We still are." Draco grins, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Even twins can disagree about some things."

I ignore the rest of the conversation, patiently perfecting my mother's soft smile, something that I scarcely saw since I turned seven. Father became much harsher about things like that, complaining that we would go soft if she continued to baby us. Despite that, I can still remember my father's smile, though it is more approving than loving. The last time he smiled at me it was because I managed to beat him at a game of chess, something that I have only done once. I doubt that I'd be able to beat him again.

Draco shook my shoulder, pulling me away from staring at the drawing of our parents. "You need to change, we'll be arriving soon."

I absently walk with Daphne and Pansy out of the carriage and into one of the many bathrooms scattered along the train. Pulling on my robes was a simple affair, as they weren't exactly the hardest things to put on. A skirt, shirt, tie and robe wasn't like a corset, that was a real challenge.

When we finally made it to the station I watched with a frown as my bag disappeared, though I know that it will be awaiting me when I enter my dormitory after the sorting and the feast. I am prepared for the small wooden boats that we are ushered into, Draco once again at my side, but nothing my parents said could adequately capture the beauty of the castle that stood mightily on a cliff across the lake. It somehow glowed in the darkness, welcoming us with a warm affection that should be impossible for something made of wood and stone.

When we finally reached the shore, led by an unnaturally large man in an equally large coat, the climb up to the castle seemed eerily short, perhaps an enchantment placed on the stairs to make the climb easier. We were led up a winding flight of stairs and into a large hall with a looming door ahead of us. Waiting in front of the door was a woman in green robes and a rather ostentatious black hat. Despite being magical nobility, I did not enjoy the so called luxuries that we were surrounded by. I liked simplicity and functionality over excessive jewels and decadent fabrics. The only piece of jewelry was a ring that I had been given on my eleventh birthday that held the Black family crest. Despite being a Malfoy, I was the last remaining eligible heir of the Black house, a title and vast number of accounts were placed into my care that day and a personal vault that contained a ridiculous fortune was mine to access at my discretion, the rest would be moved from the care of the goblins into my hands once I turned seventeen. I would be expected to take the Black name and become Lady of the most ancient and noble house of Black. I'm not looking forward to that day.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." The woman announces, pulling me from my thoughts. "Behind these doors is the great hall, but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses." She doesn't say much else and walks through the doors, telling us to wait until we are asked to enter.

"Well well." I hear my brother smirk. I immediately sigh knowing that it won't end well. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

No. I think. This definitely won't end well.

"You should know that some wizarding families are better than others Potter." He sneers at a ginger boy stood next to the object of Draco's interest. "Red hair and a hand me down robe, you must be a Weasley."

And now I'm sure, he's just made a fool of himself in front of our entire year. But that doesn't stop himself from digging himself even deeper into his hole.

"You wouldn't want to go making friends with the wrong sorts. I can help you with that."

"That's enough brother." I announce, moving to stand in front of Potter, my back to him. "Friendships aren't made by insulting people." After our inseparable years, I know that Draco isn't simply angry at me for interrupting him. I have just embarrassed him in front of our peers. Though he should be glad that I didn't do it in front of the entire Hogwarts population.

"I'm older than you Cassie, you don't get a say in what I do." Draco sneers. I can't help but feel that eleven years at each other's' side has just been shattered by this one move.

"Eleven minutes may make you heir to the Malfoy name, but it doesn't mean that I can't protect our family from embarrassment." I retort, not taking my eyes from my brother as he stalks away into the crowd.

"Sorry about that." I smile to Potter and his friend, noting their wary and confused expressions. "It's nice to meet you." I leave the two of them alone after that. If they want to be friends with a Malfoy, I can't thrust myself upon them like my idiot twin did. They have to decide that I'm worthy of their time.

Finally, the stern woman in green returns and leads us through the great hall. I'm not in awe of the ceiling like everyone else is. Mother put the same charm on my room as a child. I was afraid of the dark after reading a particularly unfriendly book detailing Dementors, Lethifolds and Boggarts. She told me that the stars would protect me, that I was named after them because they were strong and constant, that they wouldn't let anything bad happen to me because I shared their name. It had helped far more than she realised.

I let the many names of students wash over me, ignoring their houses as I worried about my own. Father had told us to make friends with Potter and I could tell as the sorting went on that I wouldn't be able to do that in Slytherin. I wasn't so sure that I wanted to be friends with him anyway, so far he had shown no admirable qualities and his choice in friends so far was slightly questionable. The Weasleys have never been friendly with my family, far from it with the decades of hostility that hovered between the families. His new friend would surely steer Potter away from us with an unrivalled determination. I would simply have to apologise to father and promise that my grades would make up for my failure in capturing Potter and endure what would probably be a series of elaborate punishments veiled in politely worded letters.

"Draco Malfoy." The woman in green announced. I watch nervously as my brother makes his way up to the woman and sits on the stool before him. His smug expression suddenly fades when he hears the words I know that father will punish him for hearing escape the sorting hat's lips, if it had any.

"Gryffindor."

A polite applause fills the hall as he walks to the table filled with people clad in red. He looks far too pale and his shaking hands expose his fear. Father may be upset with me for not being a Slytherin but he would be furious at Draco.

"Cassiopeia Malfoy." I dutifully make my way to the stool and await my fate patiently as the sorting hat is lowered onto my head.

'Very interesting.' A voice echoes in my mind. 'So very different from your brother and yet you both fit perfectly in Gryffindor.'

'Then why don't you announce it?' I ask back, not bothering to ask how it could read my mind. There wouldn't be much point in the sorting hat if it randomly assigned people to houses that they didn't fit.

'Because, my dear, you could join any house you wish and make a home and a family there.' It answers. 'I do have a difficult decision. Perhaps I should simply let you choose.'

'Let me choose.' I repeat, a sudden wave of fear filling me. How could such a powerful artifact expect me to make the right choice.

'No choice is right or wrong, though the consequences may be good or bad. A choice is simply that, a choice.' It informs me, I can tell that it is rather impressed with itself for coming up with such an intelligent response.

'I suppose that I should go to Gryffindor and keep my brother out of trouble.' I sigh, awaiting for the hat to announce my choice. But it doesn't yet.

'If that is what you wish.' It concedes after a long silence.

"Gryffindor." I hear echo throughout the hall and I receive the same polite applause that my brother did, though Potter seems to be smiling a little. It makes me curious, for someone who grew up without magic he seems to know that Gryffindor was supposed to be dominated by those society branded as good. Had the Dark Lord won the war then he wouldn't be smiling, he would be doing the opposite, if he were alive.

I sit next to my brother and place my had on his, trying to reassure him. "It's going to be okay." I reassure him, well aware that I must be wearing my mother's comforting smile.

"Father's going to kill us." He whispers, still shaking. "He'll disown us for sure."

"No he won't." I disagree. "He might be upset but he won't go as far as to disown us, especially you. He needs an heir to carry on the Malfoy name. Besides, it wouldn't do for him to disown his children because they were sorted into Gryffindor, he's far too political to do something like that. The press wouldn't be in his favour."

Draco seems to have calmed down a little now and we watch the rest of the students get sorted. As I expected, no purebloods sit near us, only the students who aren't aware of our father's animosity do that. It surprises me however, that Potter and his Weasley friend sit across from us, a bushy haired Gryffindor sat at my left discussing Hogwarts: A History with the prefect next to her. She was very obviously a muggle born, though I know Draco would throw mudblood at her at his first chance. Mother taught me etiquette and father taught Draco, Mother was very careful about what words I should use in public over what many purebloods wouldn't hesitate to use. Manners were of utmost importance, and even muggleborns deserved some manners, if only to show them how further advanced we are in the literary arts. Father was not as careful with Draco, instilling in him hate rather than caution. They both have their methods and I prefered mother's.

"I can't believe we'll spend the next seven years surrounded by mudbloods." Draco whispers to me, luckily quiet enough that no one around us heard his use of language. Mudblood would get you a detention, or simply take away points if you were lucky. It wasn't the smartest idea to throw the words around in a lion's den, especially when we would be considered snakes until we could prove otherwise, and I was determined to do so.

"Try not to use that word in public." I warn him, keeping my voice down. "I don't think our housemates will share the same views." I avoid pointing out that I don't share his views either. I may have been brought up in a pureblood home but I could see past father's insistence of the so called 'filthy muggles and their mudblood offspring'.

Muggles had managed just fine without magic and their children couldn't steal magic any more than I could make mine disappear. I don't know why magical children can be born to non magical parents but all I know is that they can and they clearly aren't as devolved as father would have us believe. Mother on the other hand found a real reason to dislike them, in that she lost a sister to them. She also doesn't like how our celebrations of Samhain and other celebrations are pushed aside for the muggle christmas and halloween. She told me once that muggleborns should try to learn our ways and appreciate them instead of blindly walking through our world with no sense of where their magic came from and why. She was logical about things like that, though she warned that most purebloods, including father, didn't share her opinion and it was best to only discuss such things with people who wouldn't spit the words blood traitor in my face the second I brought up the topic.

Perhaps I could educate this clearly intelligent muggleborn and help her understand why some pureblood families may not like her company. It would certainly help her to avoid the accusations of being a 'filthy mudblood' and the outrageous claims that she 'stole her magic'. Yes, I think mother would approve of that, though I'm not sure that father would see the good in it. He would probably suggest that I hex her and feed her to the giant squid he would tell us stories about.

I turn to the bushy haired girl and wait for an appropriate pause in her conversation so as not to be rude.

"The founders are the most interesting part of the book and yet there are barely any chapters about them." She complains, probably awaiting a reason for the now quiet prefect who was trying to think of an appropriate response.

I knew the answer of course and was glad to be able to add to their conversation. "Many people believe that the documents about them were burned when Slytherin left the school." I inform her, noticing the inquisitive gleam in her eyes. "But a lot of the information was simply lost to time when the statute of secrecy was implemented, most of the books being found and burned by muggles as they burned witches at the stake." She seemed rather upset that I had simply stated the part about muggles, I suppose it was only natural given that until recently she didn't know that she wasn't a muggle. "It was a very different time, where they were scared of what we could do. Not a child could fall ill without a witch being blamed, though it was slightly sexist to think that only women could possess such dark magic. That's why we separated ourselves from the muggle world, so that they wouldn't have to fear us and so we wouldn't have to fear them."

"So all wizards and witches are scared of muggles?" She asks, clearly not having understood my explanation.

"No, a lot has changed over the centuries." I shake my head, glad that she is still enthralled in my story. "Witches and wizards aren't afraid of muggles anymore, in fact that fear has turned to hatred in some eyes." I frown. "Some are still driven by the hatred of muggles burning our kind alive, drowning them in lakes, snapping their wands. Others think that muggle borns have stolen their magic and other ridiculous notions like that."

"But not you Malfoy?" The prefect asks accusingly. At closer glance I can tell that he too is a Weasley, though clearly not a very intelligent one given that he looked like I was about to breathe fire.

"No." I speak back, trying not to glare. "Though I can't say the same for my father."

"Or your brother." Draco announces, glaring hurtfully at me. "Clearly our parents' lessons didn't sink into that empty skull of yours." He spits. I've definitely now ruined my relationship with my brother, all because of a stupid prejudice that never made sense. "I can't believe that my sister is a blood traitor. My own blood."

"I'm not the only person in the world who doesn't enjoy hating people as much as you do." I reply. "And I'm not the only blood traitor you're related to. What about our cousins, our aunt. If you hadn't noticed, not everybody is as easily brainwashed by father."

"If he doesn't disown you, I will." Draco growls, turning his back to me.

I've rather successfully cut myself off from my family all in one night. As much as mother might argue with father about it, I will be burned off the tapestry by the end of the week. Eleven years old with no family, that would be a first. He wouldn't have any power over the Black name however, I would be named the head of the Black family the second he muttered incendio, no matter how old I am. The idea of burning my crazy aunt Bella off of that tapestry would make me very happy, and I could easily reinstate Aunt Andromeda to the family while I did so.

Before I could delve any further into my musings, the headmaster stood from his chair and sent us all to bed, which luckily for me meant not having to endure my brother's mutterings about blood purity and how I've brought dishonor to the Malfoy name. I won't bother to send father a letter in the morning, he would read Draco's before mine and burn it the second he read about my being a blood traitor.

I made sure to pay attention to the directions our prefects were giving us about how to get to the common room, though it wasn't too hard. Simply walk up the stairs to the seventh floor and give the fat lady the password. Though it wasn't that simple given that the staircases had a tendency to move while you were still on them. Walking up the many flights would be a chore to complete twice each day, though most likely more. 'Caput Draconus' would be our password for the next week until it was changed. Some of the students around me grumbled about it but it made sense, even if the boy stood on the step next to me was muttering about forgetting it. We'd simply have to make sure that someone was with him to let him into the common room if he forgot the password.

It was rather easy to find my bed in the girl's dormitory. There were five of us, and mine was the only bed with a white haired cat dozing on it, the white fur the same shade as my long straight hair. Father was rather upset when he had found a loophole that allowed non aggressive animals into the school, like the rat that I saw scurrying to Potter's ginger friend as we entered the common room. I knew that Asta wouldn't bother chasing after the rat, having given up such behaviour several years ago back when she was a kitten. She was still young, not full grown yet. My familiar would not die until I died, unless someone murdered my beautiful little ball of fur.

"He's adorable." One small blonde girl cooed at Asta, her eyes practically saucers in their sockets.

"Her name's Asta." I inform the girl politely, picking up Asta, allowing her to cuddle into my chest as the girl carefully stroked her fur. "She's a little shy still but give her some time and I'm sure she'll be dozing anywhere she likes. Father gets rather upset when he finds her sleeping on his chair in his study."

"She's great." The girl grins at me, her eyes softening.

"I'm Cassiopeia Malfoy." I introduce myself, waiting expectantly for her to tell me hers.

"I'm Lavender Brown." She smiles, though her eyes don't leave the cat in my arms.

Much to Lavender's dismay, I place Asta back on my bed and open my trunk to look for her things. A small sand tray that cleans itself, two bowls and a very large bag of cat food. Mother always overpacks for things like this. We once had a picnic in the rose garden and had the elves bring enough food to feed ten people. I place the tray under a window and place the bowls on the sil above it, filling one with food and another with water from a bottle I had in my bag. I'm glad that the food never spoils, so that Asta no longer feels the need to eat a full day's food in one sitting.

I glance around the room to see a brown skinned girl talking with a black haired girl, glancing over at our bushy haired roommate who just so happened to be staring at a book as she practised several spells from the beginning chapters.

I don't gawk like the other girls do and change into a pair of pyjamas, rather muggle like clothes as my mother had called them as she helped me pick them out. I own a great many pairs of shorts, in various colours and patterns and many t-shirts we kept hidden from father. My favourite shirt was very large, almost long enough to be a dress, that read 'Duran Duran' with a rather colourful pattern of star signs around something I've never been able to identify. Mother helped me hide my love of muggle music well, casting a notice me not charm on a walkman that she had found on one of our ventures into the muggle world. I'd brought it with me, after mother had placed a large number of charms on it so that it would work while in the castle. It no longer needed batteries and would simply play through the headphones thanks to another handy charm she had applied. Despite her distaste for muggles, she allowed me to indulge, simply glad for me to have something I enjoyed doing, even if it was listening to muggle music.

I ignore the strange look the bushy haired muggleborn was giving me and pulled out my walkman from my bag, selecting one of my favourite tapes, Rio by the same band whose shirt I was wearing. As I listen to the words I consider writing a letter to mother, she would understand if I told her not to fight for me to stay in the family. She would understand that I wasn't abandoning her, wouldn't she. I scratch Asta behind the ears and wonder what I might write. Would I tell her of my musings about the black tapestry, would I share with her my conversation with the bushy haired girl I had yet to know?

My thoughts are but off by a tapping on my shoulder. I politely remove my headphones and place them next to me, turning to see the same girl I was thinking about biting her lip, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She looked rather sheepish.

"I was wondering…" She started, glancing down at the floor. "Would you tell me more? About the wizarding world."

"On one condition." I start, struggling to keep an amused look off of my face. "You must tell me your name."

She smiles, though she still looks sheepish. "I'm Hermione Granger." She says, the bouncing of her feet coming to an end.

"Cassiopeia Malloy." I supply her. "Take a seat." I smile, motioning to the end of my bed. She sits, crossing her legs in what must be an attempt to curb her enthusiasm. "What would you like to hear first? There is a lot of information held in wizarding culture and history. It will take more than one night to tell."

"Perhaps you could start with an overview." She smiles, looking suddenly overwhelmed.

I simply smile and I quickly wonder where to begin, deciding the start of the wizarding population. "Thousands of years ago, people began to discover that they were different, that they had some level of control over the world around them, using different plants and minerals to execute feats of magic. They didn't have wands then, but they used rituals to perform magic, using different celebrations to thank the world around them for giving them magic.

"Wand making was rather simplistic for a time, with wand makers simply taking lengths of branches to encase their minerals in, before they knew that magical creatures could supply better cores." I note the gleam in the Hermione's eyes as I speak, noting that the other girls on the room seem rather interested in what I'm saying. "As decades passed, wizards and witches discovered that they could use spells to perform magic, instead of simply using their wands to perform complex rituals. The wand movements we use and the incantations were designed from what we understood of rituals, given that drawing symbols with their wand would strengthen the rather limited rituals they had been performing. The spells they created weren't as permanent as the rituals, but they could be performed over and over, with less of a limitation on time and resources.

"Wandmakers evolved too as we discovered the magic a feather or tail hair contained. As did the way they shaped the wands, refining the technique to yield stronger results, and through such, stronger spells were produced. It was during the rise of muggle religion that they began to fear magic, something they couldn't produce. It was a rather ridiculous belief in some eyes, but the muggles did have a legitimate reason to fear magic, it was something they couldn't control or understand, especially with the power that comes from magic. I don't blame them for believing magic to be the work of something evil and dangerous, and they took the fear that came with it and turned on the wizarding community, eradicating the people they believed would destroy their world. This was around the same time Hogwarts was founded. After years of persecution, the statute of secrecy was created and we turned away from the muggle community, focusing inward to rebuild what we had lost during the years muggles had hunted us. Salazar Slytherin was known to hate muggles and believed that muggleborns didn't have a place in our world, given that they were raised to fear us and most likely cheered along as a witch or wizard was burned or drowned. I don't blame him for that either, though I don't like that he wanted to keep magic in the hands of those who were born in magical families."

Hermione looks enraptured in my tale, hanging on to each word I say. "Centuries have gone by since then and there are people who still believe that, though there are people who don't. We don't know why muggleborns have magic, given that for centuries magic was simply passed through blood. Maybe magic is trying to cultivate itself after years of magical families intermarrying. After all we know magic isn't simply part of our blood, it's something that lives and breathes, something that shared itself with the first wizards and witches and will most likely continue to choose people to share itself with."

"That's a little ridiculous isn't it?" One girl asks, the one with the black hair. "Magic is inside of us, not some creature living in the mountains."

"And it was once thought ridiculous that the world revolved around the sun and we know that's true." I shrug. "We once thought that magic could only be accessed through rituals and that isn't true. Maybe one day you'll be the one to discover where magic comes from and will be celebrated for it."

She simply turns her nose up at me and draws the curtains around her bed.

"What more did wizards learn?" Hermione asks, leaning her arms on her knees. "How did we do it?"

"Perhaps that can wait for another day." I smile politely. "I might be able to write to my mother in the morning to send me some books, depending on what happens at home."

Hermione knits her eyebrows at me, a question forming in her eyes. She won't ask me though, no matter how much she wants to.

"My father believes that muggles and muggleborns are scum, he doesn't particularly like half bloods either. Mother isn't as bad, given that she has real reasons for her distaste of muggles. They might disown me when my brother writes to them. Mother has been covering for me for years, keeping father from hearing about my beliefs but I don't know if she will any more. Or if she can." I explain.

"But they're your parents." She asks, looking even more confused.

"Things are different in my family, they're a lot like other pureblood families." I sigh. "There are a lot of rules that come with being in what they call the sacred twenty eight. You have to be strong and eloquent. There is a very particular set of rules you have to follow, titles to call people, ways to walk and sit, and a very strict belief system. If you step outside of those bounds you dishonour and disgrace your family. Appearance is the most important thing to uphold and no matter how much your family may love you, disgracing the family name is a very serious offence and requires punishment. If you slouch, you spend the next day walking with a very uncomfortable spell that keeps your back straight. If you don't use the proper titles then you must spend hour reciting them, attributing people's names into the right categories until your parents are satisfied that you won't slip again. And if you are caught calling muggleborns anything other than mudbloods you are names a blood traitor and are usually disowned, though they prefer not to do that. It's far too embarrassing to disown your daughter or sister, though keeping a blood traitor in the family could turn out worse."

"So they'd disown you?" Hermione asks, she looks as if she wants to cry, which is of course ridiculous. I'm not too upset by the idea. I've know the day my face will be removed from the Malloy lineage would one day come. Maybe not so soon, but it was never a question in my mind.

"Most likely yes." I nod, shrugging. "I'm not too upset by it. I'll just inherit the house of black when they do so it won't make a difference."

"Maybe you can tell me more about these rules tomorrow." Hermione says, getting a strange hard look in her eyes.

"Sure." I smile. Mentally preparing myself for the outcome of tomorrow morning's breakfast. Father wouldn't send a howler, that much she was certain of, she just wasn't sure if he would be able to rave the bad press if he disowned her, though he most likely wouldn't care. She knew about the crimes he'd managed to wriggle out of after the end of the first war, he would rather keep his favour with the former death eaters he associated with than with the press. It would all blow over and the world would forget his disowning a daughter like they had his accusations of murder. Crazy aunt Bella, despite being in Azkaban, would remember his harbouring a blood traitor for the rest of her days, as would all of his associates.

I settle restlessly into bed, allowing quiet tears to roll from my face into my pillow as I fret over mother. She would certainly be punished for not teaching me well enough. Father might crucio her, something she had experienced first hand, though only once, and it would not be pleasant. I'll just have to pray to any god that might be out there that she won't be hurt because of me.


	2. Chapter 2

The owl post in the morning does not surprise me as it does Hermione. I've been swing owls fly in and out of breakfast for years, but to the muggleborn, it must have been a sight, to see hundreds of owls flock into the hall through the many open windows that line the very top of the walls. I can immediately spot the owls that are here to deliver envelopes to me. There are four. Two of which look far too thick to mean anything good, the other two being owls that I have seen my entire life, owls belonging to my mother and father. Draco receives one letter, delivered by father's favourite owl Orion. Father's second owl swoops toward me, dropping a letter on my lap without pausing to reduce its speed and swoops away. I recognise the owl far too easily, it always having been the bearer of his bad news. It would swoop rather snobbishly through the window of father's study and would always turn its beak up at me, almost as if it knew this day was coming. Mother's owl stops at the table before me, nipping affectionately at my fingers before flying away, looking particularly sad as it does so. The other two owls simply slow, drop their letters and fly away.

"They really did it." Hermione frowns next to me, a pout on her face. She eyes the letter in my hand, the one from father. I already know what words it will contain, but it doesn't make it any easier to open. I glance over at Draco, who has a rather smug expression on his face as he reads his own letter, glancing at me with a sneer.

I take a deep breath and pull out the nerve wracking parchment.

Cassiopeia,

I had hopes Draco's letter was wrong and that you were simply trying to appease your house and trying to cultivate the Malfoy name in a better light, but when I entered your room to consider this I saw that you had muggle books on your bed, filthy muggle clothing left in your wardrobe.

You have disappointed me. You have disgraced the family name and made yourself a blood traitor. Your mother told me that you have harboured such despicable thoughts all of your life. It is something I cannot, and will not, stand for. I will no longer allow a blood traitor to hide behind the name Malfoy. Your things will be at Hogwarts by the end of the week.

This will be our last correspondence.

Lucius Malfoy

I can't bring myself to look away from the parchment, tears welling up in my eyes. I knew this would happen, I have for years, and yet I can't stop the sinking feeling in my stomach from cultivating.

I open mother's letter next, though I technically shouldn't call her mother anymore. She isn't my mother anymore after all.

Cassie,

I had hoped to convince your father to not disown you but after he walked into your room he had his mind made up. He briefly entertained the idea that you had been brainwashed by a Gryffindor on the train but I couldn't let him think that of you. You're too strong for that. I know I made it worse, but I would not let him think you were weak and try to torture the brain washing out of you.

I will always love you my star, and I will always be your mother, no matter what your father does or says. You will always be my family, even if you are angry with me. I am and always will be there for you, no matter what you choose to do from this moment forward.

I love you very much my dear child.

Mother

I wipe away the tears that are streaming down my face. Mother's words hit me harder than fathers had, harder than the sneer on Draco's face.

Hermione places a hand on my arm, she's crying too. She doesn't even know what the letters said and she is already crying for me. I smile to her and open the first of the two large, thick envelopes.

It's from Gringotts, detailing the final transfer of all remaining Black vaults and assets, nothing terribly important, though there are many pages that I have to sign and send back, something I'm sure will become very tedious before the ordeal is over. The second letter is the same, though from the Ministry, they want to know who I will select to represent me until I come of age, among other things. I have to review all votes cast in the Black name by proxy, something I'm not too enthusiastic about. They aren't as urgent as the pages Gringotts sent, though they will most likely give me a headache trying to finish them as quickly as I can.

I glance up at the teachers' table, knowing that I'll have to talk to my head of house at the very least about the letters I've received, though Dumbledore might have to get involved now that I'm technically an orphan. I'll also have to leave the castle at some point soon to deal with a lot of the intricacies of assuming the position as head of a house, especially one as old as the Blacks.

The stern woman from last night is frowning at me, though she seems like she's seen people like me before, people who've lost their families because of the sorting. I'm sure she's had many students cry in her office, she seems like a rather good person to share your troubles with.

She and several other teachers rise from the table, a stack of parchment in hand containing timetables. She hands out all of them before finishing with myself and Hermione, a comforting smile on her lips.

"My office is open to you whenever you need. Don't worry about your first class, I'll make sure the Professor knows that you'll be speaking with me. You seem like you could use it." She tells me, introducing herself as Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you Professor." I try to smile back, suddenly very aware of the tear marks that must be painfully evident on my face. Mother always called me a pretty crier, but suddenly I question her words, very conscious of my red eyes.

The prefect I spoke with walks up to us when McGonagall leaves, a very proper smile on his face. "I'm Percy, your prefect. I know McGonagall will be able to help you but you can always come to myself or my female counterpart for anything as well. We're here for the students in our house, no matter what the situation."

I smile politely and turn back to Hermione, taking her hand, which hasn't left my arm. "It hurts a lot more than I thought it would." I confess, my thoughts going to the sketch I was working on during the train ride. I pull the book from my bag and turn to the page holding the image of my father. I look longingly at it, knowing that I'll never see that smile again.

"Is that him?" Hermione asks, glancing over my shoulder at it. Had she been Daphne I would have snapped at her for looking but I'm okay with her seeing, she should know about the good in my father too.

"Yes." I smile, another tear falling down my cheek. "I'd just won against him in a game of chess. He'd been so proud. He'd taken it easy on me up until that point, it's the only time I've ever beaten him, but he was so happy with me, he even had the house elves bake a cake to celebrate."

"How could he just turn his back on you like that? You're his daughter." She says, the frown still deep set into her expression.

"Like I said last night, there are a lot of rules you have to follow and I broke them. He wasn't left with much of a choice." I tell her, placing the book and letters into my bag.

"But it's ridiculous." She almost yells. "Family should always come first."

"In many ways it does." I shrug. "And he has to protect the family name from the scandal that I would cause."

"I still think it's stupid." She proclaims, stabbing her fork into the egg on her plate.

I try to eat, though my appetite is all but gone and I find myself prodding at my porridge instead of eating it. Time passes rather slowly before people begin to leave the great hall for their lessons, though some of the older students don't seem to be in any hurry to leave, most likely not having any lessons they need to worry about for their first period. I suppose that I don't have to either, though I know I have to try to find Professor McGonagall's office. I bid goodbye to Hermione before approaching Percy, knowing he'd definitely know the way to my destination.

"Would you be able to tell me how to get to Professor McGonagall's office." I ask him, having waited for a break in his conversation to do so.

"I'll walk you there." He smiles to me, standing from the bench. "It's not too far from charms." He says politely, leading me from the hall and up the ever moving staircases. They seem to know where we're going and arrange themselves accordingly, giving us an uninterrupted path to the fifth floor. We walk through several curved, winding corridors before we stop at a rather plain door.

"This is her office." Percy smiles warmly to be before waving goodbye.

I stand outside the door for several minutes, rather scared of what I'll have to say. Part of me doesn't want to admit that I lost my family, that I'm all alone now, especially as one of the last living Blacks in the wizarding world. I know I have several cousins that were once Blacks, one of whom is in Azkaban. I briefly consider visiting him during christmas, given that he too was burnt from the family tapestry. I don't think on it long, wanting to get my meeting with McGonagall over with.

I knock on the door and it opens by itself, McGonagall sat in a rather comfortable looking chair by a fireplace, wand in hand. "Come on in Miss Malfoy." She smiles, gesturing to a chair across from her. There is a table in between them, and a tray with a teapot, two cups and saucers and a plate of biscuits. I know she's trying to seem as unintimidating as possible. As unintimidating as one can look with a large hat on your head.

"I suppose it's Miss Black now." I say, my tone dry. She doesn't seem insulted by it, which I can only hope is a good sign. I take the seat, finding that it is far more comfortable than it looks, crossing my legs in the rather large chair. If only father could see me, he would lecture me about sitting like a proper pureblood lady and use a sticking charm to ensure my feet remain planted on the floor. Not anymore, I think wistfully.

"I don't mean to belittle your circumstances or presume to know anything of the letters you received today, but I am no stranger to students receiving troubling news the morning after their sorting." She says, urging for me to speak.

I don't speak, taking in a long shuddered breath as I prepare my thoughts. "I've known this day would come for a long time." I finally confess, the feeling in my stomach returning. But no matter how much I've tried to prepare it still…"

"Hurts." McGonagall suggests, simply smiling at me.

"A lot." I nod, almost wanting to laugh. "It's almost ridiculous. I knew father would realise that I don't care for blood purity and I knew he'd be angry. But it's still hard knowing that it finally happened."

"And your mother?" She urges, pouring out the tea.

"Is still my mother, despite everything." I shake my head. "She's covered for me for years, helped keep my secret. I'm sure she thinks I'm angry at her. I'm not though, nor at father. I suppose I can't be, despite everything."

"What of now?" She asks, already fully understanding my situation.

"I have to go to the ministry at some point, finalize paperwork and such." I tell her, trying to remember everything contained in the dozens of feet of parchment. "I'll also have to introduce myself to all of the members of my house, though they can at least wait until christmas break for that."

"I'll arrange a meeting with the headmaster for that." She smiles. "And I'm sure he'll allow you a weekend to visit any family you need to. But I meant with your family. I hate to use the word but…"

"I'm an orphan now." I nod, already knowing what I am. I don't mind though, it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Most unfortunately so." She frowns. "I can't pretend to know any of what you're going through, nor could most, but your aunt, Andromeda Tonks, may be some comfort to you. She too was removed from your family tree."

"I was planning on reinstating her in the family." I smile.

"Something I'm sure she'll be glad to hear." McGonagall grinned. "You have a family here at Hogwarts, and a home too. One that you'll never lose, even after you leave in your seventh year. It'll be a long time until that day, but you need to remember, Hogwarts is something you'll never lose."

"Thank you Professor." I smile, feeling tears prickle at my eyes again. Not even a day here and I already understand what she meant. Even if it's only Hermione, I have a family here, one I'm not eager to lose.

AN- This is a story I've had on my hard drive for a few years now and after finding it again I knew I had to post and finish it, even if I did escalate the time frame rather significantly. I hope you enjoy my take on Harry's year at Hogwarts and the changes I made with the introduction of a certain main character.

I'd love to hear what you think so far.

Amyx


	3. Chapter 3

McGonagall leads me to my first class, Charms with Professor Flitwick and apologises on my behalf for my late arrival. I take a seat next to Hermione and quickly promise to tell her all about my meeting after the lesson. The rather small Professor spends the lesson going over proper wand practise, the correct way to hold a wand and the many motions that can be combined along with an incantation. I don't expect to actually perform a spell, which we don't, though Hermione seems rather upset by the fact, after all, she'd already perfected several spells before even arriving at Hogwarts. I doubt she actually used the spells, given the trace and constrictions on underage magic, but magic was mostly understanding theory, something Hermione seems rather gifted with. We all take turns performing a flick, swish, loop and a zag, all with varying degrees of success and confidence. Though I hate to admit it, you can identify the purebloods and some half bloods in the class simply by how they hold their wands. Some parents, usually purebloods would allow children to practise with their wands before beginning school, especially in houses with wards that make it almost impossible for the trace to properly take effect. I practised many spells after my eleventh birthday, almost immediately after returning home with my wand. I note how Hermione holds her wand, she grips it tight, in an efficient, determined way, her wrist and a strong and intentional angle as she performs the movements, a slight crease in her eyebrow. I however, hold my wand similar to my brother, with a looser hold, though no less purposeful, performing the movements almost as if they were a dance, allowing them to flow into each other. I can tell Professor Flitwick is impressed, awarding Gryffindor two house points upon my completion of the task set.

I carefully observe my classmates, rather intrigued by the way one rather awkward, pudgy looking boy from my house seems rather scared as he holds his wand, as if it were going to set on fire or send his desk tumbling through the air. Nothing would happen, even if he accidentally thought of a spell as he did so, we're all too unpractised to perform wordless magic, something reserved for much later in our schooling. His nervousness is almost endearing. I'll have to strike up a conversation with him later, knowing that he could use some help bolstering his confidence when holding his wand, it will only hinder his progress throughout his schooling if he's scared of his wand.

Potter is another interesting one to observe, rather awkwardly holding his wand as he bites his lips, though I doubt he would take any pointers well. His Weasley friend would most likely accuse me of making fun of him if I did so. It doesn't stop me from thinking of any suggestions for him, like making the wand a part of yourself, performing movements as if they are part of your arm, holding your wand as an extension of your hand, not just something you hold in it. The other boy could use the same advice.

Draco also performs well, though not receiving any house points which puts a rather sour look on his face. Father wouldn't have either as his loop looks like more of an awkward square rather than a circle. It wouldn't have any adverse effects on the spell, but it would be rather bad form, a habit he needs to break out of. Soon.

As the lesson draws to a close and we place or books away, Hermione looks like she's bursting with questions, something that I can't help but chuckle at. She can barely contain herself as we leave the classroom, suddenly exploding when we pass the doors.

"What happened with McGonagall?" She begins, not even taking a breath as she continues. "Did it help? Did she hug you? She doesn't look like the type to hug you but you just looked so sad that I wanted to hug you but we haven't been friends long enough and I don't know if it would be uncomfortable for you. Was she any help or was she just repeating things you already knew? You already sounded like you had a grasp on things last night even if you did start crying this morning. You're actually a really pretty crier. Your eyes kind of sparkled, mine just go red and blotchy."

I can't help but laugh as he rambles on, suddenly stopping her words as we follow our housemates through the corridors. It's far too amusing, especially after how awkward and silent she was last night.

"Sorry." She mumbles, tucking her hands into the pockets of her robes.

"It's fine." I smile, shaking my head as I work out the last of my giggles. "It was just funny to hear you talking so much." Especially after she voiced one of my mother's opinions.

"Mum says I do that a lot." She shrugged, a smile slowly working its way back into her expression.

"To answer your many questions, yes it did help speaking with Professor McGonagall." I smile, trying to commit to memory the route we are led down toward History of Magic. "She didn't quite say what I already knew but just let me tell her. She didn't ask any direct questions, just waiting to hear what I was alright with sharing. She did mention writing to my aunt, she was burned off of her family tapestry too, she eloped with a muggleborn before my grandfather could finalize her marriage contract, something I can't help but admire her for."

"Are you going to write to her?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, though hopefully I can meet her when I have to go to the ministry." I say, pulling the strap on my bag a little higher on my shoulder. "I don't know if I'll be able to but I'm hoping the headmaster will make an exception. She's currently the only sane relative I know of and I'll need her to represent me at the Wizengamot before I come of age."

"What's a Wizengamot?" Hermione asks. I'm glad for the change of topic.

"It's the magical government I suppose." I shrug, having never spent much time thinking on it. "There are fifty seats that comprise it, twenty eight belonging to the sacred twenty eight, rather prominent wizarding families and twenty two that are appointed by the minister for magic and his department heads. They all vote on laws and sometimes jury for trials, though the minister makes the final opinion for the latter. The number of family seats are higher than the appointed seats because the minister can usually dictate how each of the appointed members vote, while family seat holders aren't usually as easily swayed. Especially because they can't be appointed with the same beliefs as the current minister."

"But if they're all old wizarding families, doesn't that mean they're all like your father?" Hermione asks, chewing on her lip.

"Hey, I'm from an old wizarding family." I say, pretending to be hurt. "I do understand your point but some of the families have been feuding for generations, especially those people like my father would call blood traitors. But in the past they have put aside their differences to bar laws that would favour the minister or one of his supporters. It doesn't happen often, but it does."

"So there are three different groups in your government that all have different opinions. How do any laws make it through?" She asks.

"Bribes." I smile. "It's bad etiquette if no one is bribed before a vote." I wait for the shock to appear on her face and can't hold in my laughter when it appears. "I know it seems corrupt but things usually turn out better that way otherwise no laws would make it through."

Hermione simply nods as we arrive at the History of Magic classroom, quickly turning the topic of conversation from wizarding politics to the rather ethereal state of our professor.

As he begins speaking, I know with quite a lot of certainty that it will be a rather useless hour, especially since he is trying to write on the board with a piece of chalk his hand passed right through. Hermione and a few Ravenclaws seem to be the only ones paying attention, most likely the muggleborns who hadn't heard of the 1612 goblin rebellion, even though most purebloods like myself didn't particularly pay attention given that there is no one definite reason for the rebellion or the subsequent one that took place in the eighteenth century. I suppose that's the point of the lecture but I still don't pay attention, opting to sketch some of the people in the classroom, or rather, Draco and Hermione. I don't particularly care for any of the rest of the students, given I don't know any of them. I'm just glad that Hermione is engrossed enough in the lesson to not notice what I'm doing. I suppose that it would look a little strange given that I've only known her for a day, but it's one of the stranger things I do, finding it easier to commit the person to memory, details of conversations and such. It's a guilty pleasure, and an odd one at that. I can't help but begin to admire her bushy hair as I draw it, enjoying the crazy, sporadic directions and kinks in it.

I briefly consider what it would be like to fight in a rebellion, believing in something so fiercely you would be willing to die for it. I suppose that I'm fighting my own little rebellion against my father, though it is nowhere near the intensity and brutality of the goblin rebellion. Would I be willing to fight the people I love to protect someone like Hermione? Could I? I suppose that I would if the time came. But I don't know if I could kill, especially if I were faced with father or Draco. I wouldn't be able to hurt them, I still love them, even if the feeling isn't returned any more. After spending eleven years at someone's side, as someone's mirror, it would be impossible to hurt them. Wouldn't it? I suppose it would be something like Hermione's hair. Something messy and unpredictable.

"Cassie?" Hermione suddenly asks, pulling me from my thoughts. I snap my sketchbook shut before she can see inside it, most likely smudging some of the ink. I don't care, I really don't want her to see it, and given her expression, she didn't.

"Sorry, I guess my mind was wandering." I smile weakly, placing my things into my bag, following her to our next lesson, though we don't talk on our way to the dungeons. I'm far too embarrassed about what she almost saw, something I hope she isn't detecting. Maybe she just thinks I'm stuck back in my thoughts, which I suppose I am. I'm too busy worrying about what it will be like being taught by my godfather. It's one thing to have the odd lesson at home, but here, at Hogwarts, things will most likely be different. He won't smile as he stops me from adding an ingredient too soon. He won't laugh with me as I do it anyway and we get covered in brightly covered soot. He'll be my Professor. He'll be different.

And he is, as he sweeps ominously into the classroom, his expression stern as he looks at us all. He doesn't catch my eye, simply narrowing his eyes as they find Potter. He then starts questioning him on things I know aren't in the beginning of our textbooks, especially ingredients that are barely mentioned. He knows exactly what he's doing and I can't help but be a little disappointed in him. Surely he would know better as a teacher. Surely he would know that some students wouldn't have been allowed to read their textbooks at home. And even if they had, they wouldn't be able to commit it all to memory. Though I did particularly enjoy his little speech before he started his attack, despite it's rather unsettling contents.

Hermione is bursting next to me, throwing her hand in the air to desperately answer Sever… Professor Snape's questions. He wouldn't pay attention to her, no matter how much she tried to shake her hand and snag his attention. He knew full well that she knew the answers, he simply hadn't called on her for them. She would have to warn Hermione against such a display in the future, though she most likely won't be happy about it. He is a very different man to their other Professors and he would most likely be amused by her inability to answer.

I pay attention this lesson, pushing through the mess of my thoughts that History of Magic brought on, making sure that he knows that I still care about the subject, and about him too. Even if I've been disowned, burned from the family, he would still be my godfather wouldn't he? I can't be too sure, given how close he is to father. But maybe he would surprise me again, like he has so many times before.

Before we can make it through half of the class, the door opens and Dumbledore walks in, a particularly strange glint in his eyes, which seems to be magnified by his half moon glasses.

"I do apologise for the interruption." Dumbledore smiles, though I know he isn't that sorry, enjoying the annoyance on Severus' face. "I need to borrow Miss Malfoy." He speaks, something that surprises me. I had been expecting to be called to his office later in the week, after all, he is the headmaster. Shouldn't he be busy making sure the first day of school runs smoothly.

I simply pack my things away, waiting for Severus' nod of approval before doing so, following Dumbledore out of the classroom, out of the dungeons. He doesn't say anything, simply gliding through the corridors as he leads me to his office, which resides behind a rather interesting statue of a phoenix. He mutters something and the phoenix begins to turn and rise, revealing a winding staircase. I wonder if his knees enjoy such a climb, given he's not exactly a young man. I don't ask and simply follow him up. My feet protesting against taking another step as I reach the top. The castle is a big place after all and the volume and annoying moving on staircases doesn't help with the distance between classes. Why couldn't they all be close together. It wasn't as if there was a lack of space. Perhaps it's to force the students into daily exercise.

"Professor McGonagall came to me this morning concerning your new situation." He speaks, sitting down behind his desk. "While I am willing to allow you to leave the grounds to deal with matters concerning the Ministry and Gringotts, I'm afraid I can't allow you to make social visits with various family members, especially ones you have never contacted before."

I nod, having already worked out as much for myself.

"I would also like to extend to you my sympathies and my aid, should you ever need it." He smiles, pushing his glasses a little further up his nose. "But there are school matters we must take care of also. We cannot have a student guardianless. Professor Snape has volunteered to be your temporary guardian until you select one more permanent. Normally one would be appointed for you but given your position as head of the house of Black, such things are different."

My heart swells a little at his words, knowing that at least one more person from my previous family still cares, especially one whom I can still contact, knowing that writing to mother would be rather dangerous for both of us. I can also express my displeasure at Severus' first lesson and his treatment of Potter.

"I am sure Professor Snape would have informed you of such after your class, however I do require your consent to this, given his status as your godfather is in a rather grey area currently." He continues, looking down at a sheet of paper in front of him. "For me to take you to the Ministry I would need the consent of a guardian, which makes our circumstance rather odd, as I'm sure you'll appreciate."

I do.

"We have also received several trunks from your father, something I'm sure he knows is a rather great inconvenience for both of us." He says. I smirk. He isn't really bothered by it, expecting me to be at least.

"He mentioned he would in the letter I received from him." I comment, wondering where those things might be. I had left one of my favourite books at home, favouring my textbooks in my limited trunk space.

"I can have them sent to your dormitory however there would be the question of where to put them." He says, quirking his head to the side.

"An extension charm might work professor, that way everything would fit into one trunk." I suggest, nothing the twinkling in his eye. "I would perform it myself but it's a little too advanced for me."

"I shall have Professor McGonagall bring your things to your dormitory and perform the charm." He smiles. "She'll want to know that everything makes it to you."

I can't help but narrow my eyes at his words. Any teacher could quickly cast the charm and a house elf that she was certain were employed by Hogwarts could transport it to the dorm in seconds. "Why all of this kindness Professor?" I ask, having been taught to be a slytherin by my mother. You never get anything for free, she would say. There is always a price, even if that price isn't galleons. It could be a favour, a trading of services, simply an assurance you will keep them in mind in the future. Sometimes you pay a price for something you gain yourself. Remember that. With everything, there is a price, especially where magic is concerned. Dark magic damages your soul, blood magic constantly draws from you, even light magic comes with a price, though it is usually some fatigue. I've remembered those words for years, I've taken care to. I wonder what price Dumbledore would have me pay.

"I am charged with the care of my students, their physical wellbeing, as well as their mental and emotional wellbeing." He says, though I know he is dancing around his real reason. "If there is anything I or any other professor can do for our students, we will do it."

I don't believe him. And he knows it.

Even as I leave his office, I can't stop thinking of his motivations. He could easily have left everything for Professor McGonagall to handle. Being my head of house, it is her job to watch over her students, but Dumbledore needn't have seen me personally, not for a five minute chat that could have simply been relayed in a letter. I would write to mother, asking her opinion on the situation, but I already know I can't. I can, however, ask Severus. He would give me a far plainer response, and a truthful one at that.

The rest of the day passes by uneventfully, simply discussing lessons with Hermione, all the while Dumbledore's meeting plays on the back of my mind, it reeling about what he could possibly want of me. I know he's a patient man, and patient men can wait to cash in their debts. I just hope it isn't something too troubling. I don't like owing people favours.

"You weren't joking when you said he would send McGonagall." Hermione comments, watching as McGonagall levitates several trunks behind her, slightly disgruntled by her task. She quickly drops them in the dorm and bids us farewell.

"I'm surprised she actually complied." I say, sighing as I realise just how much time I'll have to spend sorting my things. I begin with the trunk the extending charm was placed on, it being the least battered of the lot.

"This could be fun you know." Hermione smiles, helping me sort my various clothing on my bed. "We can talk without our hands getting bored."

I roll my eyes at her, shaking my head slightly. "You could tell me about the muggle world." I smile slyly, having always wanted to know more than the snippets of information I've gathered over the years.

"It's rather boring compared to magic." Hermione frowns, continuing to fold some of my haphazardly packed clothing.

"I've grown up with magic, just like you grew up around muggles." I say. "There's a whole world I know exists and I don't know anything about it. It's just as exciting for me to learn about muggles as it is for you to learn about magic."

"From the looks of it you know quite a lot about muggles." She smiled slyly, holding a copy of 'A Winter's Tale' in her hands.

"I'm sure the 1600s are the epitome of all muggle history." I smirk back, rather amused by the blush on Hermione's cheeks, though I do feel slightly bad about how I responded. I take the book from Hermione's hands with a smile. "We have plenty of time to catch you up on magical history." I reassure her, briefly wondering why she wasn't placed in Ravenclaw.

"You can see right through me can't you?" She smiled, though she was chewing on her bottom lip, hiding her face behind her hair as it hung down.

I laugh a little, continuing to unpack and organise my things. "That's not such a bad thing."

 **AN- So I've been gone a while in terms of this story, though the I've updated and written a few since uploading the beginnings of Casseiopia, but that was simply because I found myself stuck for where to go. I hadn't planned on the first few chapters covering such a short amount of time so I found myself back at the drawing board. The next few chapters will take place within the first week of term but after that some time jumps will be necessary, mostly so this story doesn't end up being thousands of chapters long.**

 **So I hope you enjoy reading this story while I take a breather from my Death's Mercy and Life's Cruelty world, mostly because my brain might melt if I have to think about some of the sub-plots in it any longer.**

 **Amyx**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cassie found herself bouncing on her heels slightly, trying her hardest to gather the courage to approach the nameless, clumsy boy she found herself sharing a house with. He looked like he desperately needed a friend, and someone to help him with his confidence, and she wasn't certain that she was the right person to do it, mostly because of her brother's ability to stick his foot in his mouth at all times. With a deep breath she approached the boy, currently sat in the corner of the common room looking a little lost.

"Hi, I'm Casseiopia." She smiled, sticking out her hand for him to shake. She tried to keep her nervousness from showing, especially if it would make her seem insincere.

"You're Malfoy's sister." He seemed terrified of her, his eyes wide and his bottom lip almost trembling as he looked up at her.

"Unfortunately so if it means you're scared of me." She shrugged, trying to keep her smile as friendly as possible.

"I-I'm not scared of you." He stuttered. He most certainly was scared.

"Good." She smiled back, allowing him to get away with his lie. "Because I'd like for you to join me and Hermione in the library, you looked like you could use a little help." She spoke, suddenly realising that she hadn't phrased her sentence right, he was most likely confused and a little insulted. "Let me try that again. You look like you could use a friend." She smiled, her expression softening, the harsh determination draining from his expression.

"I'm not good with magic." He shook his head. "Or people." He added, looking a little sheepish.

"Well, this conversation is proof that I'm no good with people either." She smiled warmly, offering her hand once again. "We could be bad with people together."

With a hesitant, shy smile, he shook her hand. "I'm Neville."

"Well Neville," Cassie grinned, far too happy with herself. "You just got yourself a friend."

Cassie and Hermione spent the afternoon with Neville, though he was right about not being the best with magic, though he was certainly far from the worst. With a little coaxing, they managed to break Neville out of his shell to find that he was using his father's wand, though he wouldn't tell them why his father didn't have it, and it made Cassie frown rather deeply. She knew a fair amount about wandlore, though not nearly as much as someone like Ollivander would, and she knew immediately why Neville was struggling. His wand happened to be one of the most stubborn in existence. Unicorn hair and Ash, possibly the worst combination for a hand me down wand she'd ever heard, both stubborn and unwaveringly loyal to their original master. She wouldn't bring it up with Neville, not until she knew him far better, and even then she'd feel bad for doing it.

But as the days went by and the trio found themselves rather enjoying each other's company, Cassie felt a great deal of anticipation, though for what she wasn't sure. She just had a feeling that something was going to happen over the weekend, and she hadn't decided if it was good or bad. She'd written to her Aunt Andromeda about her position with the Black and Malfoy families and that she would like to meet her when she made her journey to the ministry, after all, there were a lot of things that needed doing before she could visit with her Aunt to reinstate her into the family tree. She briefly considered writing a letter to one Sirius Black, but that was far too risky. He may have been blasted from the tree as a blood traitor, but he was in Azkaban for some very serious crimes, almost all of which were murder. Professor McGonagall had advised against it, even though a small part of Cassie still wanted to contact another of the disgraced Blacks.

But she did as she was told, and waited outside Professor McGonagall's office at nine o'clock Saturday morning, dressed appropriately for the visits she needed to make to Gringotts and the Ministry. She had her bag packed with all of the paperwork she had been owled several days before, rather proud that she had managed to sort through most of it.

"We'll be meeting Professor Snape in the headmaster's office." Professor McGonagall informed her as they made the long walk to the phoenix staircase, which of course had to be on the other side of the castle. "As your temporary guardian, he will be the one accompanying you today, so do not try to leave his sight." She had warned, though the Professor seemed to like the idea of ruffling her godfather's feathers. "We are placing a great deal of trust in you so I hope you don't take advantage of that."

When they eventually arrived in the office, Dumbledore was already speaking with Severus, though the latter didn't seem too pleased about what he was hearing. When they finished their hushed conversation, Cassie was pushed toward the fireplace with no more an explanation than simply to floo to the ministry. She did as she was told and found herself almost running to keep up with her godfather as he swept toward the visitor's desk at the far end of the rather large atrium.

"How can I help you today?" Asked a woman with a rather bored smile.

"I have Lady Black here to finalise some details of her receiving the family title." Severus spoke. He sounded beyond bored but had a rather silver tongue despite that as the woman perked up at his words, glancing behind him to see Cassie stood rather awkwardly.

"Of course, we have your arrival marked down." She smiled, rather fawningly in Cassie's opinion. The girl was either a pureblood or a half-blood given the way she practically swooned at the mention of her name. "The head of the Administrative Registration Department is awaiting your arrival in his office." She quickly folded up a piece of paper and tapped it with her wand. A small blue paper aeroplane rose from the desk and hovered before them. "Just follow the memo." She smiled, turning her attention to the people in the line behind them as they followed the memo toward the lifts.

"I've always thought these things were rather ridiculous." Severus sneered at the paper plane, his fingers itching to cast an incendio on it and watch as it shrivelled into nothing but ash.

"Was everything alright?" Cassie asked, trying desperately to sound as Slytherin like as she could, which meant being subtle in ways far beyond the meaning of being discrete. "You seem to be in a rather sour mood."

Severus seemed to smile, though he was always hard to read. His facial expressions were never the most obvious. "You would have been a boon to my house." He replied, seemingly ignoring the question.

"Would Professor Dumbledore be more forthcoming?" Cassie asked, smiling up at her godfather.

He rolled his eyes, a smirk on his lips. "I was simply informed that my role as your guardian will have to come to an end at some point in the near future." His smirk dropped into a frown, though it would mean one of a thousand things. "The headmaster needs me to remain in the good graces of your father for the time being. He also mentioned a letter from your Aunt Andromeda, expressing her willingness to take you in, more specifically hoping she was Dumbledore's first choice."

"She said the same to me." Cassie nodded, remembering the letter she had received from the woman the day before, the letter that was tucked into her bag as Andromeda wouldn't be able to join them in the ministry, but would only be able to meet them in Diagon Alley to deal with what would be the hordes of paperwork waiting for them both there. "Professor McGonagall said that she would be my guardian."

"You sound far too disappointed." Severus commented, smiling down at Cassie, the smile that he saved for his godchildren. "She is a lovely woman, a great mother, and a far better guardian for you than I could hope to be." He soothed, though Cassie didn't feel much better.

"And it wouldn't work with Dumbledore's plan." Cassie muttered. Her parents had ingrained a mistrust in the old man into what felt like every fibre of her being. They were successful with few other things, but a dislike of Professor Dumbledore was one of the few things she got from her parents.

"We owe that man a great deal." Severus spoke, rather diplomatically. "I trust him, though it sounds foolish, and I have hope that he won't make the wrong decisions."

"But of course nobody is to know that." Cassie smiled, hoping she sounded like her mother back when she was counselled to keep her love of the muggle world a secret.

"Indeed."

The meeting was a waste of two hours in Cassie's opinion, as she signed what felt like several hundred pieces of parchment. Part of her felt glad that she was there, that she was the one who got to deal with the decisions about her own future, but another part wished that she was sat with Neville and Hermione, most likely coaxing some of Neville's buried confidence to the surface. When they were finally done, Cassie couldn't help but feel a little sad that Severus' name wasn't next to hers in the mass of papers she received, he'd been quite a lot like a father to her over the years.

"Don't look so defeated." Severus scolded her in his usual light hearted manner, though it didn't mean he wasn't serious all the same. "You have far more freedom than most children could ever wish for."

"More than I want." She muttered, careful to keep Severus from hearing. She had wanted to be a child for at least a few more years, but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen.

The walk to Diagon Alley from the ministry was surprisingly long, she'd assumed that the two would be rather close together, given they're the only two exclusively wizarding areas in London. Instead they endured a forty five minute walk, a rather brisk walk, that left Cassie rather winded by the time they reached the leaky cauldron.

"Hello there Severus." Grinned the barkeep, who was cleaning out several glasses. "Never seen you in here during school." He hollered, drawing the attention of the few patrons who were drinking so close to midday.

"Just aiding a student." He responded politely, spotting the woman they were due to meet some ten minutes earlier.

She was rather beautiful, though Cassie was certain that she only got more beautiful with time, she had seen some photos of her aunt during her Hogwarts days and she was far more stunning now. She was rather different from her mother, who had light blonde hair and rather small features, Andromeda Tonks had thick black hair, rather large, catty eyes and full lips, she looked rather like a medium between her mother and her crazy Aunt Bella. And that made her rather nervous. The woman with her however, she seemed rather interesting. She had messy pink hair that seemed to grow a few inches before receding back to its original length only to start the process over again. She had rather steely blue eyes, though those seemed to be rather indecisive as well, as hints of blue flourished and disappeared over and over again. This must be her cousin, the metamorphmagus

"She's tiny." The pink haired girl commented, leaning around her mother's frame slightly.

"She is eleven." Her aunt rolled her eyes, directing her attention to the approaching pair. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, despite the circumstances."

"Likewise." Cassie smiled politely. She hadn't decided if she liked the woman yet, but she was sure of one thing, she rather liked her daughter.

"I'm Tonks." The pink haired girl waved, though the way Andromeda frowned suggested that wasn't the girl's real name.

"Nymphadora is my daughter." Andromeda smiled, aiming a sharp look at her daughter, who held her hands up in surrender.

"Has your disposition for causing potions accidents lessend, Miss Tonks?" Severus asked, he looked rather happy with himself.

"'Course not Professor." She smiled back, running a hand through her hair. "Only been training for a week and Mad-Eye hates me for it."

Severus merely snorted, turning his attention to Andromeda. "We need to make sure she's back at the castle by five o'clock." He informed the woman, who seemed rather amused by Severus.

"As serious as ever then Severus." She laughed slightly. Cassie made a note of how much he seemed to hate hearing Andromeda's words. "Even when you were a little firstie you were a robot."

"Back when I was a first year you didn't know what a robot was." He retorted, though his eyes seemed rather steely.

"It's only mid-day Severus, I'm sure Dumbledore won't be opposed to his student being fed." She smiled, knowing Severus had already conceded.

Lunch was mildly amusing for Cassie, as she watched her guardian and her godfather exchanging rather carefully calculated looks, as if it were a war between the two that had been waging for hundreds of years. Dora, as Cassie had taken to calling her, was equally as amused, so much so that her hair seemed to buzz an excited yellow, that mixed in rather beautifully with the pink that Cassie assumed was her normal hair colour, though none of the patrons seemed to look twice.

Unlike at the Ministry, Andromeda had the most paperwork to do, in that she had to sign all of it in Cassie's place, which left Dora to get to know her cousin, something both girls were rather glad for.

"So you used your… ability… to scare one of your friends into thinking Professor Snape was trying to kill them?" Cassie repeated, rather shocked by the situation.

"Charlie was terrified of Potions for weeks." Dora laughed, clutching her stomach. "He kept hiding under the desk whenever he walked past until one day he managed to knock over everyone's potions. It was a rather spectacular explosion, left everyone clear skinned for weeks though. I think that was possibly the only time during our entire fourth year he wasn't covered in spots. His older brother found it hilarious because during christmas he sprouted a giant spot on his forehead. He sent me a photo, it could have been alive it was that huge."

"I think I can appreciate why Professor Sprout didn't make you a prefect." Cassie grinned, noting the conversation between Severus, Andromeda and the goblins was coming to a close.

"Your accounts have been dealt with." Andromeda spoke, handing Cassie a copy of the papers she had been working on for the last hour. "They'll remain under the care of the goblins until your seventeenth birthday. Nobody will be able to access them without your permission so hopefully no distant relatives will try to get you your vaults."

Cassie nodded, though she didn't particularly care about the money in the dozen or so vaults that the Black name held, the only vault she had any interest in was the one that held books, and if there weren't any books, then she didn't care about any of them.

"You have a few years until then but you will need to familiarise yourself with those papers before you come of age." Andromeda noted, leading the group out of the private meeting room and out into the mess that was the bank's main hall.

"May I have a moment?" A blonde woman interrupted them, tears in her eyes. Cassie had hoped that she would see her mother again, and she was rather happy that she had.

"You gave up that right when you disowned your daughter." Andromeda spoke fiercely, her tone angry and harsh.

"Just like I disowned you?" Narcissa spoke back. "I had no control over our family then, and I have no control over our family now." Her eyes softened as tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. "I just need to give something to my daughter."

Andromeda nodded, glancing back at Cassie with a sympathetic smile, though Cassie wasn't upset to see her mother, despite the tears in her eyes. She was in fact, very happy that she could see her mother again.

"Oh my stars." Narcissa whispered, bending down to Cassie's height, fastening a chain around her neck. "I promised you that the stars would watch over you. That they would keep you safe. I want you to know that I was telling the truth." She took the pendant in her hand, running her thumb across it. "This star will keep you safe." A tear fell down her mother's cheek as she pressed a kiss to Cassie's cheek. "I love you, don't forget that."

"I won't." Cassie promised, wrapping a hand around the pendant. "Tell father I love him." She asked, a tear falling down her own cheek. "I love you mother."

Cassie was practically dragged from the bank by Severus, with Andromeda and Dora in tow.

"The gall of that woman." Andromeda muttered. "After everything she put that girl through."

"She's the best mother I could have asked for." Cassie smiled, tears still falling down her cheeks. "Being disowned was the best option she could have hoped for. She wasn't going to let father beat the traitorous thoughts out of me."

"How you love that man I will never know." Andromeda frowned, crouching down in front of Cassie. "You are my family now, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"I suppose that's what she meant." Cassie smiled, thinking back to her childhood. It seemed so long ago to her, even though it was mere days since she last had her family. "The stars will protect me. She meant family."

"Yes she did." Andromeda nodded, taking Cassie's hand as they walked back to the leaky cauldron. "Be safe dear." She smiled, hugging Cassie. "And write."

"Give Hogwarts hell for me." Dora smiled, a cocky grin on her face.

"I will." Cassie smiled back before stepping through the floo with Severus.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Casseiopia,_

 _I miss you dearly. I'm glad I managed to convince Severus to smuggle you these letters, I just wish you were able to write back, but I can't risk your father finding them. He is still rather adamant that disowning you was the correct course of action, a month later, though I do not agree with him._

 _I wish you could come home my star, though we both know that you cannot. Draco omits any mention of you from his letters, which I can only hope is a good thing. Continue to watch over him as you have over the years, you never know when he may need your help, even if he would never admit it._

 _One day, they will all see the foolishness in their ways and we will be a family again. It may take years to achieve, but our family will not be torn apart forever._

 _I love you, my star._

The letters were never signed, though Cassie had no doubts of who was sending them. At first, she had been desperate to write back, to convince her godfather to deliver a reply, but he gave the same warnings her mother did. 'It's too dangerous for your father to discover them.' So Cassie held on to the letters like a lifeline, hiding them in her trunk, far too scared Draco would see and tell their father. It would put a stop to the letters all together and that was something Cassie couldn't let happen.

Hermione had been as much as a comfort to Cassie as she could, though there was a point where the girl couldn't understand what was happening to her. It turned out that Neville was the friend she needed to help her through those particularly rough days. She didn't push aside Hermione's friendship though, holding her new family as tight as she could. Or rather, as tight as she could without scaring them away.

She applied herself as diligently as she could in classes, mostly so she would be able to help Neville as much as possible. She rather liked being around Neville, he was different from most of the people Cassie had ever met. Hermione, while muggleborn, was rather like some of the purebloods she knew in Ravenclaw, eager for knowledge. Neville on the other hand, was so clumsy that it was rather cute, like a puppy, a drunk puppy trying to walk down the stairs. She was also, quite possibly, the only person in their house who knew what happened to his parents, even though he hadn't told her. Being the new head of the Black family, she knew exactly what Bellatrix had done to find herself in Azkaban, and Cassie could only feel that she deserved to be there.

"You know, don't you?" Neville asked one late afternoon, when Hermione was sufficiently distracted in her books.

"That depends." Cassie smiled cryptically. "But whatever it is, I think I might keep it to myself." And that was the end of the conversation, turning back to the potions essay that they were yet to finish.

Everything continued as normal, the trio spending their time studying together, though the odd game of exploding snap or gobstones overtook their free time instead. Hermione wasn't the best at gobstones, though Neville was surprisingly good, while the reverse could be said about exploding snap. Cassie didn't play herself, preferring chess, so she watched, finding herself growing rather fond of the pair.

The peace of their first month at school was swiftly interrupted during their first flying lesson.

Cassie stood between Hermione and Neville as they tried to command the brooms into their hands. She did her best to soothe their nerves as the brooms quivered in the grass.

"Don't be afraid of it." She advised, her broom firmly in her grasp. "Just remember that you control a broom just like you do magic. It can't do anything you don't want it to."

Her words worked for a short time, before Neville kicked off the ground early and lost control of his broom, far too terrified to remember Madam Hooch's instructions.

Shouts of "Neville!" rang through the air as he found himself snagged from the broom and plummeting to the ground. Cassie sprinted over, helping an almost crying Neville stand.

"Oh dear, a broken wrist." Madam Hooch pursed her lips and swept Neville away to the hospital wing with a warning not to go into the air.

"Maybe if the fat lump had remembered to give this a squeeze, he'd remember to fall on his fat arse." Draco sneered, flanked by the Slytherins they'd grown up with, all cackling at his words. Neville's remebrall sat firmly in his hand, his grip rather tight on the object. "Maybe I should leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find."

"That's enough Draco." Cassie frowned, struggling to see her brother in the cruel boy before her. "Don't do something you'll regret."

"Who's gonna stop me?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her, his challenge hanging heavy in the air. "I could leave this on the roof for him and you wouldn't do anything about it."

"I could." A voice announced, Harry Potter stepping into the small space between the opposing groups of students.

Draco swiftly mounted his broom, launching into the air with a laugh at on lips. "You don't have the guts." He taunted, lazily tossing the remembrall into the air and catching it.

"Madam Hooch said to stay on the ground." Hermione shrieked as Harry mounted his own broom, speeding toward Draco.

"I don't think they care." Cassie frowned, wanting desperately to hex the pair of them, but she didn't know any that would sufficiently relieve her annoyance.

She didn't pay much attention to what happened next, only knowing that Harry was marched off by Professor McGonagall. She also didn't pay much attention to the gossip spreading around that Harry was going to be expelled, nor the few who said that he was now on the Gryffindor quidditch team. She studied and wrote essays and ignored all of the people around her.

That was until Hermione dropped down into a chair next to her, her breathing shallow.

"There's not long till our next lesson so you didn't have to come up here." Cassie smiled, not bothering to look up from her notes. "Besides, I won't give you detention for not showing up in the library." She chuckled, moving on to the next page in her herbology book.

"Harry's on the Gryffindor team, it's official." Hermione replied, getting out her own books. "I showed him the trophy room. There's a quidditch trophy with his dad's name on it."

"I didn't think you were friends with them." Cassie muttered, neatly cataloguing the information to the back of her mind.

"No, but they are in our house." Hermione shrugged. "We cross paths a lot."

"Like we cross paths with my brother?" Cassie asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You know what I mean." Hermione huffed, a slight chuckle escaping her throat. "They're not too bad, in passing."

"But?" Cassie asked. There was always a but.

"All Weasley does is talk about how much he hates you and your brother." She frowned, her attention on Cassie.

"I'm sure he'll be glad to know that I don't particularly care about him nor his opinions." Cassie muttered, scratching down some notes about the proper care of scurvy grass and how not to succumb to its effects while harvesting.

"Doesn't it bother you?" She asked. Cassie could feel her eyes burning into her, though she refused to look up. "You're so much nicer than your brother and most of our house don't care."

"I've been apologising for him for years, and I'm okay with ignoring other people because I don't have to apologise for him any more." Cassie shrugged, though she knew Hermione didn't believe her, the snort was evidence enough.

"But the things they say about you…" Hermione muttered.

"Don't matter." Cassie interrupted, gathering up her things. "What does matter is that we get to charms on time."

The two girls put the books back onto their shelves and made it to charms in time for their professor to usher them in. It helped that charms was down the corridor from the library, the only convenient placement of two rooms in the entire castle.

Class started off rather normally, but when it came to actually practising the spell, things got a little out of hand. Seamus set his feather on fire, a hufflepuff accidentally lifted her quill and ink started dripping everywhere and Hermione barely managed to stop Ron from doing something disastrous.

"You're going to take someone's eye out." Hermione stated, a little on the aggressive side, but after almost being set on fire, one could excuse that. "Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's levi-o-sa not levio-sa."

"You do it then if you're so clever." Ron sneered back, his ego seemed bruised.

Cassie knew Hermione would be able to do the spell, so she didn't bother looking up, concentrating on making her own feather fly. Both she and Neville managed it by the end of the lesson, but with a glance up at Hermione, it seemed that Ron was sulking. A lot.

They left the class, not too far behind the ginger as they made their way to their last lesson of the day.

"It's levi-o-sa." Ron imitated, earning a laugh from the boys he was walking with. "She's a nightmare. Honestly, it's no wonder she hasn't got any friends."

"What are Neville and I, hippogriff dung?" Cassie yelled, causing the boy to turn around. She was just glad he had the decency to be embarrassed.

"You're just as bad as she is." Ron yelled back. "You're a Malfoy, all you care about is using the people around you until they're no good for you anymore."

"I'm not a Malfoy." Cassie bit back, feeling tears begin to prick at her eyes. "And I'm not my brother."

"Really?" Ron sneered. "Because Hermione's gone." He turned and marched away, leaving Cassie, looking around for her friend.

Neville was still there, looking at Cassie with a frown. "She marched off." He informed her, still looking rather hurt.

"You know that's not true. Right Neville?" She asked, barely holding back her tears.

"I know." He reassured her. "I just know he shouldn't have said that about either of you." He smiled a little and dragged Cassie from the courtyard, forcing her to their History of Magic lesson, which was lucky, because Professor Binns didn't notice that Hermione wasn't there. The entire hour Cassie sat with her leg fidgeting, her heel drumming out a staccato beat while she panicked. Hermione was never late, she hated being late and now she wasn't in class.

"I saw her run into the girl's bathroom." Pavarti told her, though Cassie hadn't asked if she'd seen Hermione. "She was crying."

Cassie immediately tracked Hermione down, finding her sat in a stall, crying to herself.

"Hermione." Cassie called out, noticing that the crying stopped, though Hermione didn't come out. "Don't believe a word Ron said." She spoke, placing a hand on the door. "You have me and Neville and Ron only fawns over Harry. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you because of Ron Weasley."

"He wasn't wrong." Hermione squeaked, sniffling a little. "Maybe you're just using me because I know about muggles, or just because it will make you look better if you're friends with a muggleborn."

"I'm not doing either of those things." Cassie frowned, resting her head against the stall door. "I promise. I don't know why we're friends. I don't know why you stick around, but I do know that we're friends, real proper friends."

There was silence. A few shy footsteps. And the door unlocked.

Cassie took a step back, looking nervously at Hermione. And then she suddenly wrapped her arms around Cassie.

"Come on." Cassie smiled. "You don't want to miss the feast. The older students say it's amazing."

They made their way down to the feast, sitting with Neville as far from Ron as they could. The three ended up sat next to some fourth years and the two groups ignored each other, simply enjoying the feast as candles danced and flames swayed above their heads. There was something rather magical about the night, beyond the obvious spells that enchanted the hall.

"You okay Hermione?" Neville asked as they sat down, he didn't want to go into the girl's bathroom and risk losing house points.

"Yeah." Hermione nodded, glancing over at Cassie with a smile. "I'm good."

"Great." Neville beamed. "'Cause I'm hopeless without you two." He laughed, the girls laughing with him.

"You're pretty good at Herbology though." Cassie smiled, eating a forkful of mashed potatoes.

"They're just plants." Neville shrugged. "I'm no good at proper magic."

"Hey, who decides what 'proper magic' is?" Cassie smiled. "Confidence, Neville Longbottom. I will not rest until you have it."

"Might take a while." He muttered.

"Then it'll take a while." She shrugged. "Nobody is perfect at magic when they first arrive at school. I'm good at potions but the second you put me in transfiguration, it's like asking me to recite a book I've never read."

"No arguing Neville." Hermione cut across him before he could speak. "You should have figured out by now that we're always right."

"Other than when we're not." Cassie giggled, watching the small smile on Neville's face.

"Troll. In the Dungeon." A voice yelled. "Troll in the Dungeon."

The entire hall directed their focus to a panting Professor Quirrell. "I thought you ought to know."

Thud.

The hall exploded into screams, students rushing toward the door. Cassie found herself pushed into Hermione, a fourth year almost trampling her.

"Silence." Dumbledore yelled, quickly diffusing the panic.

They were sent off to their dormitories, though Cassie couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She glanced around the students surrounding her, unable to place what was wrong.

"Harry and Ron just ran off." Lavender spoke from behind them. "They said something about Hermione and ran."

"They heard Pavarti tell Cassie you were crying in the bathroom." Neville sighed, glancing desperately between the corridors and the prefects leading them upstairs.

"Tell a prefect." Cassie turned to Neville, a rather serious look on his face. "I'm going to stop them from doing something stupid." She sped off toward the bathroom she'd found Hermione in, barely registering the footfalls behind her.

"Potter." She yelled, hoping her shouts would help locate him, though she did doubt that he would respond.

"Duck." She heard someone yell in the distance, their voice echoing through the stone corridors.

"Sweet Rowena." Cassie muttered, sprinting toward the sounds of destruction that followed the shout.

She sprinted through the bathroom door to see Ron buried under destroyed stalls and the troll holding Harry by his legs, trying to hit him with his club.

"Help." Harry yelled, his eyes wide.

"What can any of us do against a troll?" She yelled, pulling out her wand anyway, desperately trying to think of a spell that would work.

"Wingardium Leviosa." A calm voice rang out from behind her. Hermione stood with her wand in the air, focusing on the club the troll had been holding, which was now hovering above its head.

"Why'd you do that?" Ron yelled, climbing out from the shattered wood.

Hermione lost her concentration and the club plummeted down hitting the troll on the head. The troll dropped to the floor, as did Harry, and it started snoring. With rather a lot of embarrassment, Harry retrieved his wand from the troll's nostril, wiping the bogies from it onto his robes.

"My goodness." Professor McGonagall exclaimed, flanked by several other teachers. "Explain yourselves."

"We were looking for Hermione." Harry explained, looking down at his shoes. "We heard she'd been in the bathrooms and we didn't see her in the great hall so we thought…"

"They thought she was still here." Cassie continued, though she was doing her best to look into McGonagall's eyes. "I told Neville to get a prefect and I went after them. I thought the troll was in the dungeon so I thought it would be safe enough to go after them."

"And you, miss Granger?" Snape asked, though he was looking stonily at Cassie.

"I felt responsible." She almost shrugged. "They were going after me, even if they didn't need to."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your recklessness." McGonagall decided, almost glaring at all of them. "I would take more, but few students could face a mountain troll and live to tell the tale."

Cassie nodded, and the four headed up to the common room, though Cassie was rather distracted by the cut in Severus' leg. It looked like something had bitten him, but the troll had a club and he wasn't even there to get injured.

"It has to be that dog on the third floor." She heard Harry muttering to Ron. "There has to be something more than a dog there otherwise he wouldn't have gone up there when there was a troll. That's how he hurt his leg."

"It was a distraction." Ron spoke, clearly excited by whatever they had decided was going on. "He went after something and let the troll in to keep the other teachers distracted."

"Severus wouldn't do something as stupid as letting a troll loose for any reason." Cassie snapped, glaring at the boys.

"How do you know?" Ron rolled his eyes. "For all you know he might be trying to steal some powerful weapon to kill Dumbledore."

"He already has one of those." Cassie frowned. "We all do. He doesn't need a weapon to kill anyone, no wizard does. We have wands, they're dangerous enough."

"What do you think he's after?" Harry asked, though there was no malice in his voice. "He went after something."

"I don't think he was after anything." Cassie spoke, trying to reel in the hex she wanted to throw at Ron. "If a dangerous creature suddenly found itself in the school and all of the teachers had to go, wouldn't someone make sure that this dog you're talking about is being watched. If it really is guarding something then the teachers would want to make sure nobody was going after it."

"He's definitely after something." Ron whispered to Harry, dragging him ahead of the girls as they headed to the staircase.

"Their opinions don't matter." Hermione smiled. "Remember."


End file.
